PRISMS - Physics Resources and Instructional Strategies for Motivating Students is a two-year leadership project at the University of Northern Iowa to increase achievement in high school physics and to cultivate reasoning and problem solving skills in science. 50 well qualified physics resource teachers from throughout the country will be trained in the use of materials and strategies that have been developed and validated by the Iowa Physics Task Force. The materials include a teacher's resource guide, Physics Resources and Instructional Strategies for Motivating Students (PRISMS), which contain more than 125 activities. The program emphasizes "learning cycle" pedagogy. It includes a three-week workshop during the first summer of operation, and extensive academic year follow-up activities. Participants who successfully complete the academic year leadership component will receive up to 2 units of graduate credit.
